KtHB Press Release : 120416

Housing Bill: Government Suffers Major Defeats in Lords, as Kill the Housing Bill campaign grows

Two major elements of the Housing and Planning Bill have been defeated in the House of Lords last night. The Government could be forced to make major concessions following these embarrassing defeats, with opposition to the Bill outside of Parliament growing every day

The Lords supported two amendments to the Bill:

The first extends the Starter Home discount to twenty years, not five as the Bill stated.

The second allows councils to choose how many starter homes are built in their area in a bid to make sure affordable housing for those on low incomes remains a priority

A spokesperson for the Kill the Housing Bill campaign coalition, whose housing bill demo was attended by 10,000 people last month, said: “These defeats show just how unpopular the Tories’ bill is becoming. It’s clear that it will worsen the housing crisis, and force more people into homelessness. It aims to destroy council housing, condemning millions to a lifetime of insecure, expensive private renting.

Starter Homes – the bill’s flagship policy – are no solution to the crisis. They will help only the wealthy, and do nothing for the millions of people struggling with housing across the country. We will continue this fight against the bill, inside and outside Parliament. Everyone deserves a decent home, but landlords, developers and the rich will be the only ones to benefit from this Bill.”

On Friday 15 April UK at 6pm, thousands will assemble at Downing Street to join a March With the Homeless, with the march culminating in a mass sleep out at Southwark Council Offices from 9pm. The demonstration is being organised by the Kill the Housing Bill campaign and Streets Kitchen, a homelessness justice organisation.